Structure of Macrobenthic Assemblages and Its Relationship with Environmental Variables in the East China Sea of Xiangshan

We establish baseline knowledge of abundance, diversity and multivariate structure of macrobenthos in the East China Sea of Xiangshan and elucidate main environmental variables that shape their spatial patterns. The environment of the study area has significant spatial heterogeneity. Environmental variables of sediment and water column were studied to provide models for spatial patterns of macrobenthic assemblages. Result showed that most of variation in macrobenthic spatial patterns were explained by the studied environmental variables. Sedimentary sulfide, sedimentary total phosphorus, dissolved oxygen and water colour are the certain environmental factors that have proved shaping the distribution of macrobenthic abundance, diversity and multivariate structure of the assemblages.